Coastal Flood ADVISORY in effect for:

Advocates take TZB name change fight to Albany

The advocates who want to see the Tappan Zee Bridge name restored took their fight to Albany Thursday.

The group hand-delivered petitions with almost 109,000 signatures from residents urging Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Albany lawmakers to change the name of the new $3.9 billion bridge from the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge back to the Tappan Zee.

Monroe Mann, who started the petition, insists many residents were outraged that the name change was snuck in and passed during the final late night vote of the 2017 legislative session.

He's encouraging lawmakers to vote on two bills in the Senate and the Assembly that would officially change the name back.

“I'm hoping the senators or assemblymen and women listening would recognize that the right thing to do, regardless of how they intend to vote, is at least put it to a vote and show they actually do respect all of these people who signed the petition,” he says.

Gov. Cuomo doesn’t seem to be changing his mind yet. He released a statement Friday saying that it’s a brand-new bridge that deserved a new name. He said it was nothing more than a political campaign backed by extremist conservative groups.

Cuomo’s spokesperson says New Yorkers have deep respect for Mario Cuomo and that's why both Democrats and Republicans overwhelmingly voted to name the bridge in his honor.